Pigskin and politics

Anyone watching last night's Super Bowl got a healthy dose of more than just football and commercials. We think last night seemed to be a lot more about politics and patriotism than usual.

Of course, political luminaries like former President George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were in attendance, while President Obama feted a cast of about one hundred at a White House Super Bowl party.

But it's interesting that everything started off with what is becoming a tradition on Super Bowl Sunday – the reading of the Declaration of Independence by football greats. This year's reading included a dramatic introduction by not just the NFL Commissioner, but also retired General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.


Embedded video above; if trouble loading, click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcHF9tEWGVA.

Then came the National Anthem, sung by pop mega star Christina Aguilera. While commonplace before any sporting event, this year's National Anthem rendition drew more attention than usual because Aguilera messed up the lyrics:

http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-christina-aguilera-screws-up-the-national-anthem-at-the-super-bowl-2011-2

And in the half-time show, where the Black Eyed Peas coached President Obama on economic stimulus:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/black-eyed-peas-change-lyrics-97064

Then, there is Eminem's much-discussed ad for Chrysler. This was more than just your run of the mill 'Made in America' ad. It was a full-on dose of patriotism and a sense that the success of our nation's economy and urban revitalization are tied together by a car that's 'Imported from Detroit' (a city that has gotten its fair share of negative press coverage for being a shell of its former self with crumbling buildings and a decimated economy):


Embedded video above; if trouble loading, click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc.

There were even controversies about the company Groupon exploiting references to political issues in Tibet and Brazilian rain forests to market good deals on food and bikini waxing:

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/02/07/groupon-super-bowl-advert-under-fire/

With all of the political messages it was sometimes hard to remember that there was actually a football game going on. We wonder if it was a deliberate attempt by advertisers to capitalize on political fervor to capture the mood of the country in an effort to sell products, or if it was an attempt by the NFL to reposition football as the new official American pastime (displacing baseball), or both.

What do you think about all of this? Do you think it was more political than usual, or is it just standard fare?

"W" doesn't stand for wishy-washy

Did you see Matt Lauer's interview with President Bush on NBC last night?

There is much that will be said about Bush's new book, Decision Points, in the coming days. Much of it will likely focus on some of the controversial flashpoints of the Bush presidency: September 11th, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Hurricane Katrina, to name a few.

Instead of rehashing these arguments here, we'd like to focus on one particular factor of last night's interview. Whether you agree with President Bush's decisions or not, we think it's refreshing to hear Bush speak so openly and directly about the tough decisions he made as president. That quality is sorely lacking in American politics these days.

Ever since President Obama captured the nation's attention at the Democratic Convention in 2004, he has evoked comparisons to Lincoln and other great leaders based on his oratory power. But since Obama moved into the Oval Office himself, his words have lost persuasiveness because of his tendency to talk in circles without giving a straight answer or taking decisive action.

If Matt Lauer's interview last night had been with President Obama instead, NBC would have needed a mini-series to answer the same questions.

Americans thought Obama represented "change" because of his soaring rhetoric. Political watchers waxed poetic. Chris Matthews unabashedly said that, when he heard Obama speak, "I felt this thrill going up my leg." But, in hindsight and given the current state of foreign and domestic affairs, we think Americans are much more interested in having their leaders tell it to them straight. They don't have time or patience for a Lincoln-Douglas debate. They want to know the bottom line and they want to know how we're going to fix problems.

People will say Bush's straight talk is a sign that he lacks intelligence. But, we think it's a sign of honesty and trust in the American people. That kind of respect for candor over coddling is something we need more of in American politics these days.